salary requirement help

I just got the send us your salary requirements and we will then send you the offer letter. I am just kind of looking for some insight on what to ask. I currently make 41 as a help desk operator and I got offered the position of Linux Systems Administrator. I am just looking for general ideas on what to ask. It will be another government job which will be through a contracting company it is a very long term contract. The company pays for all benefits. I just was wondering suggestions.

I am currently in WV if that leaves any insight

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Comments

undomiel

Figure out what range you are aiming for. Look for a desired range and then look for the minimum deal breaker bottom for it. Then take that information and tuck it behind your ear. Ask them for a fair market rate. Or ask them what they have budgeted for the position. Don't reveal to them what you are currently making. If they get extremely insistent about a range then give them a range where your desired is the low end. Then negotiate from there if they counter-offer.

Kaminsky

google google google !

*nix knowledge is very very profitably (I have no idea why ... really I don't) get the going rate from many websites that track the average rates for this field and then just ballz it out ...
They will come back with a counter offer and then it is in your own hands.

Always, alway remember to deduct the tax and divide by twelve and do the rest to figure out exactly what difference the new "take home" will make to you ...... then get clever and work out the math in the other direction and quote them that figure

Always work on take home pay. It's amazing how big numbers shrink with high tax brackets.

Oh and grats on the new job btw.

Kam.

Tech109

I read somewhere that you shouldn't change jobs unless you are getting 15% more than your current pay. Maybe 15% more should be the low-end of what you ask for? Although that's not very much more for a position that sounds like it should command more salary.

I'd say consult some salary websites and find out what market rates are for your region. Maybe try to find some similar job postings on job boards that actually mention salary range.

Therhino

http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=systems+administrator&l1=26330

Here is what I came up with for my area....These seem insane. I was thinking about going with 47 because that will be a little more than 15%. Am I in the right path. I mean I know there will be some growing room for this position because I know I am a junior admin in the linux side

kmfinegan1

use tools such as salary.com and SalaryExpert.com

*nix administration is a highly paid position due to the lack of quality admins that live in the *nix world.

IMHO 81k for a *nix admin is on the low end.

I would go back at them and ask like someone else said what they consider fair market value and what they have budgeted for the position.

If they do not give you an answer, tell them about your findings and what you have found to be industry average. If it is too high they will let you know.

Do NOT sell yourself short. It is a lot easier on bothe ends to negotiate down than it is to renegotiate after you take the position

networker050184

I wouldn't ask for $80k but I'd go higher than $40k. You are moving into an admin position which could easily land you at a minimum around $50k - $60k. I usually give a wide range with what I want as the lowest like others have stated.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Therhino

I shot for 47 they countered with 45. I accepted. I am going to pretty much make the most out of this situation. I currently am Junior linux at best. I will be breaking out my rh033 and going through it. I plan on utilizing all my options tho having them purchase me training materials and paying for my tests which they said they would do. They are a small place so I believe they will make it worth my while.

I really appreciate your guys input I really enjoy this site. It kind of gives me motivation to get off my butt and do stuff. I had trolled around for a while now I am on here checking this thing atleast 3 times a day.

undomiel

Congratulations on the new job! I hope it turns out to be a pretty sweet move for you. I hope you got everything from them in writing!

dynamik

*cough* *cough* RHCE Study Group *cough* *cough*

We're just starting the Jang book this week

Congratulations on the new position!

sharptech

dynamik wrote:

*cough* *cough* RHCE Study Group *cough* *cough*

We're just starting the Jang book this week

Congratulations on the new position!

Its a good book, I have gone through it, but still feel I am not ready for the exam. It takes a lot of practice and administering servers before being able to take it.

Book is easy to learn from though - I need to go back and review everything in book. Good luck with it.

sharptech

I do not mean to hi-jack the thread, but when the people interviewing ask "what are you making now" how are you supposed to respond? I always tell them what I am making and that I am free to negotiate.

undomiel

Don't tell them what you are currently making. Turn the question around and ask them for the range they have budgeted. Tell them that information is confidential. Try the Noel Smith-Wenkle method. http://infohost.nmt.edu/~shipman/org/noel.html

Just don't give them your salary, they have no right to it. They'll just use it to low-ball you or even throw you out of the running because they are judging your merits based off your previous salary.

dynamik

sharptech wrote:

Its a good book, I have gone through it, but still feel I am not ready for the exam. It takes a lot of practice and administering servers before being able to take it.

Book is easy to learn from though - I need to go back and review everything in book. Good luck with it.

We're going to be messing up each other's machines as well. I'm going to start nice, but then get devious

Unfortunately, that will probably be reciprocated

Anyone is free to join. PM me if you're interested. It seems like undomiel and I are the only active ones at the moment, but more might pop in any time.

sharptech wrote:

I do not mean to hi-jack the thread, but when the people interviewing ask "what are you making now" how are you supposed to respond? I always tell them what I am making and that I am free to negotiate.

I'd say it's confidential because I make a lot less than I should be, and I don't want that being used against me.

snadam

Therhino wrote:

I shot for 47 they countered with 45. I accepted. I am going to pretty much make the most out of this situation. I currently am Junior linux at best. I will be breaking out my rh033 and going through it. I plan on utilizing all my options tho having them purchase me training materials and paying for my tests which they said they would do. They are a small place so I believe they will make it worth my while.

I really appreciate your guys input I really enjoy this site. It kind of gives me motivation to get off my butt and do stuff. I had trolled around for a while now I am on here checking this thing atleast 3 times a day.

congrats! You still got a ~10% increase in salary and thats not bad at all.

sharptech

undomiel wrote:

Don't tell them what you are currently making. Turn the question around and ask them for the range they have budgeted. Tell them that information is confidential. Try the Noel Smith-Wenkle method. http://infohost.nmt.edu/~shipman/org/noel.html

Just don't give them your salary, they have no right to it. They'll just use it to low-ball you or even throw you out of the running because they are judging your merits based off your previous salary.

Thank you for the article, I will read that tonight. Good to know, I always knew telling them was not right and IMO I felt it was not the correct thing to do.

I guess the second part is - when filling out an application where it asks for current salary or expected salary what do you put?

Sometimes on the online applications you can not move on w/out putting a figure in.

snadam

dynamik wrote:

sharptech wrote:

Its a good book, I have gone through it, but still feel I am not ready for the exam. It takes a lot of practice and administering servers before being able to take it.

Book is easy to learn from though - I need to go back and review everything in book. Good luck with it.

We're going to be messing up each other's machines as well. I'm going to start nice, but then get devious Unfortunately, that will probably be reciprocated

Anyone is free to join. PM me if you're interested. It seems like undomiel and I are the only active ones at the moment, but more might pop in any time.

sharptech wrote:

I do not mean to hi-jack the thread, but when the people interviewing ask "what are you making now" how are you supposed to respond? I always tell them what I am making and that I am free to negotiate.

I'd say it's confidential because I make a lot less than I should be, and I don't want that being used against me.

ditto, always see what they have to say first.

Kaminsky

Therhino wrote:

I shot for 47 they countered with 45. I accepted. I am going to pretty much make the most out of this situation. I currently am Junior linux at best. I will be breaking out my rh033 and going through it. I plan on utilizing all my options tho having them purchase me training materials and paying for my tests which they said they would do. They are a small place so I believe they will make it worth my while.

I really appreciate your guys input I really enjoy this site. It kind of gives me motivation to get off my butt and do stuff. I had trolled around for a while now I am on here checking this thing atleast 3 times a day.

Well played !

Now make sure you do it ! Opportunities like this do not come around often.

Grats

networker050184

Congrats! Good thing you didn't ask for $80k. Any raise is a good raise!

sharptech

dynamik wrote:

sharptech wrote:

Its a good book, I have gone through it, but still feel I am not ready for the exam. It takes a lot of practice and administering servers before being able to take it.

Book is easy to learn from though - I need to go back and review everything in book. Good luck with it.

We're going to be messing up each other's machines as well. I'm going to start nice, but then get devious Unfortunately, that will probably be reciprocated

Anyone is free to join. PM me if you're interested. It seems like undomiel and I are the only active ones at the moment, but more might pop in any time.

sharptech wrote:

I do not mean to hi-jack the thread, but when the people interviewing ask "what are you making now" how are you supposed to respond? I always tell them what I am making and that I am free to negotiate.

I'd say it's confidential because I make a lot less than I should be, and I don't want that being used against me.

Thanks PM shot over to you.

sharptech

Therhino wrote:

I shot for 47 they countered with 45. I accepted. I am going to pretty much make the most out of this situation. I currently am Junior linux at best. I will be breaking out my rh033 and going through it. I plan on utilizing all my options tho having them purchase me training materials and paying for my tests which they said they would do. They are a small place so I believe they will make it worth my while.

I really appreciate your guys input I really enjoy this site. It kind of gives me motivation to get off my butt and do stuff. I had trolled around for a while now I am on here checking this thing atleast 3 times a day.

Awsome!!! Its always good to hear the success stories. Congrats and have fun w/ your new job!

Therhino

Thanks everyone for the positive support.

Dynamik I will follow that RHCE study group...

I have a lot of extra space on my host monster if you guys are in need of a chat or phpbb just hit me with pm if you need any back end things from me

sharptech...
This time around they didn't ask what I was currently making but in previous positions and my last one when they asked my current salary I included my bonuses and my "reward" for getting the first certifications in my office....

I am currently building my redhat 5 vm no better time then now to refresh and off to the lib I go to get some more reading materials